Packaging pad

ABSTRACT

A clearance shock absorbing packaging pad comprising a paperboard blank foldable into a hollow elongated four sided structure having interlocked overlapped top parts that do not require gluing or other fastening means other than the interlocked portions and sloping sides to control compression of the pad under load conditions.

United States Patent 1 Mc'Danield 51 Jan. 2, 1973 I PACKAGING PAD 3,221,973 12/1965 Kalbrener ..229 |4 c [75] a r whim FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Assigneez whirlpool corponfion 939,106 10/1963 England ..229/D[G. 2

[ Filed! 06% 1970 Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair [21] 'AppL Nu: 77,612 Assistant Examiner-Stephen P. Garbe Attorney-James S. Nettleton, Thomas Turcotte, Burton H. Baker, Gene A. Heth, Franklin C. Hatter, An- [52] US. Cl. ..229/14 C, 206/46 FN, 206/46 FR, tohny Niewyk, Robert d and Hot-gran Wagner,

' 2 1 Allen, Stellman and McCord [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 5/60 [58] Field Of Search ..229/14 C, DIG. 182', 206/45 57 ABSTRACT FR, A

206/46 FN, 62 R A clearance shock absorbing packaging pad comprising a paperboard blank foldable into a hollow elon- [576] I References Cited gated four sided structure having interlocked overlapped top parts that do not require gluing or other UNITED STATES PATENTS fastening means other than the interlocked portions 3,438,488 4/1969 Rohde' ..206/62R and sloping sides to control compression of the pad 3,349,984 10/1967 Halko,Jr.. ..206/62 R under load conditions. 2,125,313 8/l9 38 Ringler ...206/46 FR 9/1952 Sidcr ..229/14 C 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAI 2 ms 3 ;70a;101

FIGI

INVENTOR 29h JOHN S. MCDANIELD ATTORNEYS PACKAGING PAD SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION sections with interengaging slits that are sufficient to hold the pad in its assembled folded arrangement I without the requirement of additional fastening means such as glue; The pad is receivable between easily damaged merchandise and an outer shipping container. When the enclosing shipping container is in place,

under compression loadconditions, the inwardslope of the pad sides will cause the sides to move inwardly until edge portions of the pad are tight into folded crease portions of the pad and thus the pad will support the such as gummed tape a so that the laterally extending edges 9c of the end flaps 9d of the enclosing load. The pad construction provides substantial strength and rigidity lengthwise of the pad to facilitate squeeze handling of the container without damage to the merchandise.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a heavy article on a shipping frame with the pads in position along with other packaging elements for, receiving the enclosing shipping container portions of which are removed to illustrate the invention.

FIG. 2 is a paperboard blank of corrugated board for forming a pad-embodying the invention with a surface portion of the blank removedto show the flute direction of the corrugations.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the. assembled pad formed by folding the blank of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the inverted pad.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the structure of FIG. 1 with top flap portions of the shipping container removed to illustrate the cooperation between the ends of the pads and the side walls of the shipping container to facilitate squeeze handling of the merchandise in shipment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As illustrated in FIG. 1, the packaging of a heavy ar ticle of merchandise such as the box 10 which in this embodiment is a chest type freezer comprises a corrugated board shipping container 9, a wooden skid 1],

corner corrugated board paperboard pads 12 at the four vertical corners of the box l0 and vertical side pads 13 also of corrugated board paperboard at the sides of the box 10. As can beseen in FIG. 1, the lower ends of the padsl2 and 13 engage the skid 11 while the upper ends extend above the top surface 14 of the box 10.

Positioned on the top surface 14 of the packaged box 10 are three shock absorbing pads with a pair of the position on the top surface 14 by any means desired longitudinal centers of the pads 15 as illustrated in FIG. 1 so that the pads 15 support the insides of the container end flaps 9d 'to assure contact with the outer top flaps 9e and 9f for container sealing by gluing. The intermediate pad 16 is adapted to aid in supporting the outer top flaps 9e and 9f of the shipping container 9.

Each pad 15 and 16 is constructed of paperboard such as the ordinary corrugated board used widely in commerce for constructing shipping containers such as container 9. Each pad comprises a paperboard blank 18 having opposite side edges 19. and end edges 20 forming a rectangular structure as shown in open position in FIG. -2. A surface portion of the blank I8 is removed at 18a to show the flute direction of the corrugations providing greater strength lengthwise of the pad to resist crushing of the pad under squeeze handling conditions. In the illustrated embodiment each pad 15 and 16 is constructed of 2001b. corrugated board with a fC flute. Blank 18 has a longitudinal centrally located base portion 21 for forming a base of the pad,a pair of side portions 22 on opposite sides of the base portion 21 and substantially parallel thereto and to each other and a pair of edge portions 23 between the side portions 22 and thelateral edges 19.

Each edge portion 23 has an inwardly directed slit 24 that -are approximately linearly aligned to facilitate interlocking engagement of the side edges of the-pad. In

the illustrated embodiment each of the slits 24 are pro vided with an outwardly open angular lead in portion 24a and with'a lateral triangular enlargement 25 at its inner end. The enlargements 25 extend in opposite directions with respect to the slits 24 such that on assembly of pad 15 as shown in FIG. 3 edge portions 25a and 25b (see FIGS. 2 andS) are in interlocking inter- I ference relationship.

The pad blank 18 has means such as scoring 26 and 27 between the portions 21, 22 and 23 to aid infolding the blank to provide the pad as shown in FIG. 3 with a base 21, sides 22 which slope inwardly with respect to base 21 as shown in FIG. 3 and a top 28 comprising the facilitating a controlled compression of pad 23 under load conditions; 1

Each edge portion 23 in the illustrated embodiment has an extreme side edge boundary portion 29 at the edges 19 that is itself provided with a fold area such as scoring 30 to permit bending of a portion 290 of boun dary portion 29 as illustrated in FIG. 3into surface engagement with the corresponding; side portion 22 on the inner surface thereof as illustrated at the right-hand end of FIG. 3. Thus the inner edge portion 29a of boundary portion 29 has its edge received in the folded crease forming a comer between the base 21 andthe adjacent side 22 to form a reinforcement for the side of the pad while the other and overlying boundary portion 29b extends beyond its corresponding side 22 to form a lateral extension of the assembled pad (FIG. 3

Because of the interengagement of the slits 24 one into a pad 15, has its edge received in the folded crease forming a corner between the base 21 and its adjacent side portion 22 at the far left-hand end of FIG. 3 which is not shown in detail. Although only a single pair of interengaging slits 24 have been illustrated it is of course obvious that more than one pair'may be provided as desired; In all cases, however, the overlapping at the top of the assembled pad will be staggered as illustrated in FIG. 3.

In the illustrated embodiment the base 21 in the erected pad is 'wider than the top 28 of the pad and the slits 24 have the inner enlargements 25 to provide locking tabs 25c and 25d at about the center of the pad top 28. In this embodiment the blank 18 is approximately 29% inches long, and the distance from the right-hand edge as shown in FIG. 2 to slit 24 is approximately inches on the upper edge of the blank 18, and approximately 14 /4 inches on the lower edge of the blank, resulting in approximate linear alignment of the slits 24. )f course, the dimensions are related to the size of the. shipping container and would be adjusted accordingly ifthe pads of the invention were used in conjunction with a shipping container of a different size. With the illustrated arrangement the sides 22 of the pad 15 as illustrated in FIG. 3 are sloped upwardly and inwardly from the base 21 to the top 28 at substan-' tially equal angles which impart considerable compressivestrength to they pad. Under compression load conditions, the inward slope of the pad sides 22 will cause the sides 22 to move inwardly until the edge or boundary portions 29a and29d are tight into the folded crease portions of the pad as indicated'at 29h in FIG. 3 thus to control compression and support the load.

As is apparent, the top 28 of each pad has'a double thickness of paperboard throughout its length and width formed by the overlapping portions 23. Because of'this and because of theangled arrangement of the sides and interengagement of the slits 24 the pad is very resistant to collapse under a compressive force. How- I ever, even if such collapse does occur there will still be three thicknessesv of paperboard protecting the packaged article..Furthermore, the collapse of the pad would be obvious from examination of the container signaling that no further loading should take place. In

tendthe full width of'shipping .container 9 and thus reinforce and support the container side walls 94 and 9bto facilitate squeeze lifting of the container through resistance to crush in this direction from thesqueeze lift equipment. In addition, the flute direction of the corrugations of thecorrug'ated board forming the blank 18 is parallel to the opposite sideedges of the blank as the pad. I

It is of course evident that similar pads canbe used shown at 18a in FIG. 2 and thus the pads 15 have greater strength lengthwise for improved resistance to crushing under a squeezing force applied to the ends of where feasible between the sides of box 10 and the inner sides of the enclosing packing container 9 in lieu of elements 13. g

Having described my invention as related to the em bodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, it is .but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out'in the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l. A clearance'shock absorbing packaging pad, comprising: a folded paperboard blank having opposite side edges, a base portion, a pair of opposite side portions at the opposite sides of the base portion and a pair. of edge portions between said. edges and said side portions; means forming approximately linearly aligned inwardly directed interlocking slits at said edge portions, and means providing fold areas between said portions, the resulting said pad thereby having a base comprising said base portion, opposite sides comprising said side portions and a top comprising said edge'portions in overlappedrelationship with said slits in interlocking interference engagement, an edge portion on one sideof its said slit being above and on the other side of its.

said slit beneath said opposite edgeportionwith the result that said overlapped edge portions are also'interlaced for added shock absorbing strength and stability,

each said edge portion having a boundary portion at a said edge provided with a fold area means permitting bending of a boundary portion'of the inner said overlapped edge portion into surface engagement with the corresponding side portion on the inner surface thereof, and with said edge of said inner portion being received in the angle formed by the base portion and i the opposite sides of the base portion and a pair of edge portions and a top comprising said edge portions in i corresponding said side portions.

2. The pad of claim l wherein eachsaid slit extends less than the full width of itssaid edge portion, the slitshaving lateral interlocking enlargements.

3. A clearance shock absorbing packaging pad, comprising: a folded paperboard blank having opposite side edges, a base portion, a pair of opposite side portions at portions between said edges and said side portions;

means forming approximately linearly aligned inwardly directed interlocking slits at'said edge portions; and means providing fold areas between said portions, the

resulting said pad thereby having a basecomp'rising I said base portion, opposite sides comprising said side overlapped relationship with said slits in interlocking interference engagement, an edge portion on one side of i'tssaid slit being above and on the other side of its said slitbeneath said opposite edge portion with the result that said overlapped edge portions are also interlaced for added shock absorbing strength and stability,

, said base portion being wider than said overlapped top,

and the slits terminating at substantially the center of the pad so that the sides of the resulting pad are sloped upwardly and inwardly toward each other for added crush resistance.

4. The pad of claim 3 wherein each said edge portion has a boundary portion at a said edge provided with a fold area means permitting movement of the boundary 5 portion of the inner said overlapped edge portion into surface engagement with the corresponding side portion on the inner surface thereof under a compression 

1. A clearance shock Absorbing packaging pad, comprising: a folded paperboard blank having opposite side edges, a base portion, a pair of opposite side portions at the opposite sides of the base portion and a pair of edge portions between said edges and said side portions; means forming approximately linearly aligned inwardly directed interlocking slits at said edge portions; and means providing fold areas between said portions, the resulting said pad thereby having a base comprising said base portion, opposite sides comprising said side portions and a top comprising said edge portions in overlapped relationship with said slits in interlocking interference engagement, an edge portion on one side of its said slit being above and on the other side of its said slit beneath said opposite edge portion with the result that said overlapped edge portions are also interlaced for added shock absorbing strength and stability, each said edge portion having a boundary portion at a said edge provided with a fold area means permitting bending of a boundary portion of the inner said overlapped edge portion into surface engagement with the corresponding side portion on the inner surface thereof, and with said edge of said inner portion being received in the angle formed by the base portion and corresponding said side portions.
 2. The pad of claim 1 wherein each said slit extends less than the full width of its said edge portion, the slits having lateral interlocking enlargements.
 3. A clearance shock absorbing packaging pad, comprising: a folded paperboard blank having opposite side edges, a base portion, a pair of opposite side portions at the opposite sides of the base portion and a pair of edge portions between said edges and said side portions; means forming approximately linearly aligned inwardly directed interlocking slits at said edge portions; and means providing fold areas between said portions, the resulting said pad thereby having a base comprising said base portion, opposite sides comprising said side portions and a top comprising said edge portions in overlapped relationship with said slits in interlocking interference engagement, an edge portion on one side of its said slit being above and on the other side of its said slit beneath said opposite edge portion with the result that said overlapped edge portions are also interlaced for added shock absorbing strength and stability, said base portion being wider than said overlapped top, and the slits terminating at substantially the center of the pad so that the sides of the resulting pad are sloped upwardly and inwardly toward each other for added crush resistance.
 4. The pad of claim 3 wherein each said edge portion has a boundary portion at a said edge provided with a fold area means permitting movement of the boundary portion of the inner said overlapped edge portion into surface engagement with the corresponding side portion on the inner surface thereof under a compression load applied to the top of said pad, and with said edge of said inner portion received in the angle formed by the base portion and corresponding said side portion.
 5. The pad of claim 4 wherein each said slit extends less than the full width of its said edge portion, the slits having lateral interlocking enlargements. 